He gathered himself together to answer her.
"Nay, I knew," he said, "and had ventured to applaud Mr Dale's resolution.

But it did not come into my mind to speak of it." "Strange," said she, "when we were deploring that Mr Dale should obtain his commission by such means!" She rested her eyes on him steadily, while her lips were set in a scornful smile.

A pause followed her words.
"I daresay I should have mentioned it, had we not passed to another topic," said he at last and sullenly enough.

Then, attempting a change in tone, he added, "Won't you rejoin us ?" "I am very well here," she said.
He waited a moment, then bowed, and left us.

He was frowning heavily, and, as I judged, would have greeted another quarrel with me very gladly, had I been minded to give him an opportunity; but thinking it fair that I should be cured from the first encounter before I faced a second, I held my peace till he was gone; then I said to Barbara, "I wonder he didn't tell you." Alas for my presumption! The anger that had been diverted on to Carford's head swept back to mine.
"Indeed, why should he ?" she cried.